Oban Hydro

McCaig's Tower, also known by tourists (but never by locals) as McCaig's Folly, is a prominent tower on Battery Hill overlooking the town of Oban in Argyll, Scotland. It is built of Bonawe granite taken from the quarries across Airds Bay, on Loch Etive, from Muckairn, with a circumference of about 200 metres (660 ft) with two-tiers of 94 lancet arches (44 on the bottom and 50 on top). It is a Grade B Listed historic monument. The structure was commissioned, at a cost of £5,000 sterling (£831,466 as of 2023 using GDP deflator), by the wealthy, philanthropic banker (North of Scotland Bank), John Stuart McCaig. John Stuart McCaig was his own architect. The tower was erected between 1897 and his death, aged 78 from cardiac arrest, on 29 June 1902 at John Square House in Oban.McCaig's intention was to provide a lasting monument to his family, and provide work for the local stonemasons during the winter months. McCaig was an admirer of Roman and Greek architecture, and had planned for an elaborate structure, based on the Colosseum in Rome. His plans allowed for a museum and art gallery with a central tower to be incorporated. Inside the central tower he planned to commission statues of himself, his siblings and their parents. His death brought an end to construction, with only the outer walls completed. Although his will included £1,000 per year for maintenance, the will was disputed by his heirs; their appeal to the court was successful.

Oban ( OH-bən; Scottish Gaelic: An t-Òban [ən̪ˠ ˈt̪ɔːpan] meaning The Little Bay) is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, the town can have a temporary population of up to over 24,000 people. Oban occupies a setting in the Firth of Lorn. The bay forms a near perfect horseshoe, protected by the island of Kerrera; and beyond Kerrera, the Isle of Mull. To the north, is the long low island of Lismore and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour.

The Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (Latin: Diocesis Ergadiensis et Insularum) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland, in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh.

Lorne (or Lorn; Scottish Gaelic: Latharna) is an ancient province (medieval Latin: provincia) in the west of Scotland, which is now a district in the Argyll and Bute council area. The district gives its name to the Lynn of Lorn National Scenic Area, one of forty such areas in Scotland, which have been defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The national scenic areas cover 15,726 ha, of which 10,088 ha are marine seascape, and includes the whole of the island of Lismore, along with neighbouring areas on the mainland such as Benderloch and Port Appin, and the Shuna Island.The region may have given its name to the traditional Scottish breakfast dish Lorne sausage.

Oban distillery ( OH-bən; Scottish Gaelic: Taigh-stail an Òbain) is a whisky distillery in the Scottish west coast port of Oban. Established in 1794, it was built before the town of the same name, which sprang up later in the surrounding craggy harbour.Oban distillery is owned by Diageo. It has only two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a "West Highland" flavour that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands.

Oban Sheriff Court is a judicial building on Albany Street in Oban in Scotland. The building, which remains in use as a courthouse, is a Category B listed building.

Oban Municipal Buildings is a municipal building on Albany Street in Oban in Scotland. The building, which is used by Argyll and Bute Council for the delivery of local services, is a Category B listed building.

Oban High School (Scottish Gaelic: Àrd-sgoil an Òbain) is a secondary school in Oban, Argyll, Scotland. The head teacher is currently Peter Bain, having taken up the post of Head Teacher in 2008. The roll is currently 924 as of August 2022. A new school opened in April 2018.As well as serving Oban, Oban High School also serves some of Scotland's island communities such as Isle of Mull, Tiree and Iona.

St John's Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine (Scottish Gaelic Ard-eaglais Eòin an Diadhair) is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church, located in the town of Oban. It is one of the two cathedrals of the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles, and one of the sees of the Bishop of Argyll and The Isles. The MacDougalls of Dunollie and Campbells of Dunstaffnage began the project to build an episcopal church in Oban in 1846. The first church was completed in 1864. The committee for the erection of the church appointed Charles Wilson as the architect, but following his death, the work was entrusted to his successor, David Thomson of the architectural practice Heath Wilson & David Thomson, Glasgow. As the Bishop of Argyll and The Isles Alexander Ewing was in Europe on account of his health, the church was consecrated by the Bishop of London Archibald Campbell Tait on Thursday 22 September 1864. It was described as being of small dimensions, consisting only of a nave and chancel, the total length being 61 feet (19 m) inside. The east window was filled with painted glass and donated by Sir Donald Campbell, 3rd Baronet of Dunstaffnage in memory of his brother Sir Angus. The rose window in the western gable was filled with painted glass, the gift of David Hutcheson. The contractors for the building were John McCorquodale for masonry, Andrew Fairgrieve for plumbing, Hugh Brown for slating, George McAlpine for plastering, Charles McLaren for glazing, R. Reguson & Sons for painting, and G. Smith & Co for ironwork. The cost of the first phase of the building was around £1,400 (equivalent to £146,400 in 2021).In 1882 a side aisle was added to the south of the 1864 building. The 1910 additions were by architect James Chalmers of Glasgow. Funds ran out before construction finished – thus we are left with a unique cathedral (designated as such in 1920) with each phase clearly visible in the cathedral and the steel girders still supporting the incomplete vision of a grand structure. A screen was added in 1958 designed by Ian Gordon Lindsay.

Oban railway station is a railway station serving Oban in Scotland. It is the terminus of one branch of the highly scenic West Highland Line, sited 71 miles 44 chains (115.1 km) from Callander, via Glen Ogle. It was originally the terminus of the Callander and Oban Railway. All services are operated by ScotRail, who also manage the station. Oban station provides interchange with the adjacent ferry terminal, offering connections to a number of destinations in the Inner and Outer Hebrides via ferry services operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac). Oban is CalMac's busiest ferry terminal.

Oban Lifeboat Station is located at the harbour town of Oban, on the Firth of Lorn, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. In terms of the overall history of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the placement of a lifeboat at Oban is a relatively recent decision. An Inshore lifeboat was first stationed here in 1972. The station currently operates 13-50 The Campbell Watson (ON 1357), a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, on station since 2024.

The Cathedral Church of St Columba in Oban is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Argyll and the Isles and mother church of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles. The cathedral is located on the sea front at the northern end of Oban.